Officials in northern Brazil say they are organising a force of around a thousand men to fight the forest fires which have been burning out of control since January.
The fires ,which were started by local farmer to clear land, have affected thousands of square kilometres in the state of Roraima and are now penetrating the usually humid rainforcest including the reservation of Yanomami Indians.
The governor of Roraima has made repeated appeals for federal help, and the government in Brasilia now says it will release more funds in addition to the two-million dollars already pledged.
However, fire specialists say only the seasonal rains due in April can stop the fires.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service